


An Official Diagnosis

by carabrokes96



Category: American Horror Story, American Horror Story: Cult
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Kai Anderson is a jackass, Manipulation, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-10 10:27:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17424155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carabrokes96/pseuds/carabrokes96
Summary: Dr. Rudy Vincent has a loving wife, a thriving practice, and a seriously fucked up family.





	1. Morning Session

Rudy Vincent woke up and stretched, letting out a yawn as he did so. He felt stirring on his right and looked down. His wife, Valerie, was still asleep, but he could see that she was starting to wake up as well. He placed a kiss on top of her head and wrapped his arms around her. Valerie snuggled into his chest and yawned. She finally opened her eyes, a warm brown that reminded Rudy of the color of his coffee in the morning.

Valerie looked up at him and smiled. That smile could launch a thousand ships. It's what sank Rudy the first time he met her. "Morning Rudy."

"Good morning baby." He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

They lay like that for a few moments, just soaking in the sun sneaking in the window through their curtains. His hand moved down to Valerie's belly and he rubbed softly before he moved down to kiss there as well. "And good morning to you too little one."

Valerie grinned and sat up. "Come on Dr. Vincent. You need to get up and go to work. Your patients are waiting for you."

"I guess they'll have to be a bit more patient, won't they? I'm a bit busy with my family."

She laughed and hit his arm. "Come on Rudy. Don't you have an appointment soon?"

He groaned and fell over on his side. "I do. I guess I should get dressed." He sat up and stood, walking over to the dresser.

Valerie got up and hugged him, pressing a kiss on his shoulder. "Yeah, I have a doctor's appointment later today. They want to take a sonogram to see the baby."

"What time will that be? I'll drop by and bring you lunch."

"Around 2 pm." Valerie went to their closet and pulled out a shirt for him, and a tie that matched well. "Here you go."

He accepted the shirt and got dressed, while Valerie helped him with his tie. Rudy had been able to tie his own ties since his was fifteen, but it made him feel loved that Valerie wanted to help him.

Valerie smoothed the tie and the shirt down and kept her hands on his chest for a few moments.

"Val? What are you thinking about babe?"

Valerie smiled up at him. "I was just thinking about how happy I am. I love you so much Rudy."

Rudy leaned down and kissed his wife, and she returned the kiss. They stayed there like that for a few minutes before Rudy pulled away and looked at his watch. "I should go soon. I'll be late for my first appointment."

Valerie nodded and headed to the bathroom to start her own morning ritual. "Okay baby. Have a good day at work."

Rudy grabbed her hand and kissed it before she got too far from him and grinned. "I'll meet you at Dr. Stanton's office. Love you!"

"Love you too baby!"

Rudy walked down the stairs and out the door. He got in his car and drove over to his office to meet his first client of the morning, Ally Mayfair-Richards. Her case was particularly troubling. She suffered from several phobias, from coulrophobia to trypophobia, and her anxiety was getting the best of her. The recent election had triggered all of her old phobias, and her wife wasn't being too supportive. When he got to the office, Ally was already waiting outside the door.

"Just one moment Ally, let me get settled in and then we'll begin our session alright?"

Ally nodded. "How's Valerie?"

Rudy smiled. "She's doing just fine. How have you been Ally?"

"It could be better. My son had a clown comic last night. Littered with violence too."

Rudy sighed, sat in his chair, and started the clock. "Let's start from the top shall we?"


	2. Meeting the Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valerie and Rudy meet their little one, and have an unexpected visit from Kai

Valerie sat in the waiting room of Doctor Stanton's office. She was the best prenatal doctor in town, and Rudy had insisted that they only accept the best when it came to their child. She smiled as she rubbed the small but visible bump where her child was as she read one of Steven King's newest novels. She sighed and turned the page as she waited for her husband to arrive. He was so excited for this baby. While Valerie was excited as well, she had some reservations. She hadn't had a mother or a father growing up, and her experience in the foster care system hadn't given her many good examples of motherhood. That's why she and Rudy had signed up for some parenting classes, as well as birthing classes, and Lamaze classes. Rudy had everything mapped out, from when they needed to start decorating the nursery to the moment of their child's birth. She smiled. Her husband was a good man, and she was lucky. Valerie hoped that this baby would be exactly like him, from their toes to the hair on their head.

She also had concerns about Kai, Rudy's brother. Kai was an angry young man who seemed adrift. He hadn't found his purpose yet, which she couldn't fault him for. Valerie hadn't found her calling until her junior year of college when she was in a music lesson. She had been speaking with her professor about what she planned to do with her music degree, when she realized she wanted to teach. She taught music lessons at the high school in town, as well as offering private lessons. What concerned her about Kai was that he was obsessive about his interests, and he managed his anger poorly. Valerie was sure she wanted Kai around her baby, family or not. At least, she didn't want him near them alone. She or Rudy would always be around when Kai was.

They had gotten into fights about Kai before getting married. They had even gotten in a fight after he came back from his bachelor party three days before the wedding, absolutely trashed. There was a bruise on his brow and a cut on his cheek. It turned out that he and Kai had gotten too heated over a game of darts and got in a fight. Valerie exploded at him, saying that if Kai was going to get physical with Rudy then he shouldn't attend the wedding, which would have an open bar. Rudy exploded right back, saying that family is family and he wouldn't expect her to understand. That had hurt. It cut her deep, and as soon as the words flew out of his mouth Rudy knew he had fucked up. He immediately apologized, went into the bathroom to sober up, and spent the whole night talking with Valerie about why she was so angry at Kai. Meanwhile, she patched up his face. That night was some of the best sex they had ever had. In the morning, all was well between them, and they were married two days later. It was without a doubt the happiest day of her life.

Now, two years later they were expecting their first child. Valerie had totally freaked out when she found out she was pregnant. She had never planned on being a mom. She hid it from Rudy for a month until he walked in on her vomiting one morning, put two and two together, and bought her a pregnancy test. When it tested positive, they were both stunned. It wasn't until Rudy spoke that Valerie's heart lifted. He had said, "We're gonna be the best mom and dad this kid will ever have, I'll tell you that much." He had pulled her into his arms and held her, and that was all the assurance she needed.

The door opened and Valerie looked up to see her husband and Doctor Stanton. She was an attractive older woman with kind eyes that put nervous mothers at ease immediately. Rudy was carried a take out bag from her favorite Chinese restaurant, and Valerie smelled the broccoli beef from across the room. She marked her place in the novel, stood and walked over to Rudy, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you love."

"Of course baby. Doctor Stanton, are you ready for us?"

She nodded. "Of course. Let's go check on this baby shall we?"

They followed Doctor Stanton into a small room with the sonogram machine set up. She ushered Valerie into the seat while she prepped everything else she needed. Rudy sat beside Valerie, grabbed her hand and kissed it. He rubbed the back of it with his thumb while he waited patiently.

"If you could lift your shirt a bit Valerie?"

Valerie nodded and shifted her shirt so her belly was exposed.

"Now have you felt any kicking or movement?"

Valerie nodded again. "They move a lot when I play my music. This little one sure is a mover and a groover."

Rudy chuckled as he placed a quick kiss to her belly. Doctor Stanton smiled.

"I'm just glad that they have you two as parents." She applied a gel to the wand and approached Valerie. "Now this is gonna be a bit cold okay?" She then touched the wand to Valerie's stomach and instinctively Valerie let out a breath.

Rudy squeezed her hand and watched the monitor.

"Okay, now let's see if we can find this little guy huh? Do you want to know the gender today?"

Valerie looked at Rudy and nodded. "Yeah, I suppose that will make decorating the nursery easier."

Doctor Stanton nodded and moved the wand until a blob came into view. "There they are. That is your baby right there."

Rudy sucked in a breath as he watched his wife and the monitor. She had never looked more beautiful than in this moment, and when he saw his baby he nearly teared up. His dad wasn't all that great growing up, and he was determined to be the father this baby deserved.

Valerie nearly cried, and she had tears going down her face. It seemed so much more real now. "Is it a boy or a girl doctor?"

Doctor Stanton moved the wand and grinned. "Looks like you have a little girl on the way. Congratulations you two!"

Valerie looked over at Rudy and kissed her forehead. "A girl! Guess we better think of some names huh?"

"And we should get that registry updated." Valerie said slyly. Rudy laughed in response.

"So the next step would be to get an amnio, and the other usual tests run. I don't foresee anything coming up in those, since you two are both young and neither of you have an adverse health history. Congratulations, and don't hesitate to call me with any questions. I'll have some pictures at the receptionist's desk ready for the two of you pick up on your way out, okay?"

Valerie wiped off her stomach, adjusted her shirt and stepped down from the chair. Rudy wrapped an arm around her waist and walked out of the room with her into the waiting room. He went to the receptionist's desk while she gathered her things. He came back with a stack of photos and said, "We're gonna frame a few of these, and then we'll give one to Winter. Do you want to give one to Kai?"

Valerie bit her lip. "It's fine with me if that's what you want sweetheart."

Rudy nodded and took her hand in his. "It seems so much more real now that we have this, doesn't it? And now we really need to think of some names. Guess I know what we'll be doing tonight."

Valerie smiled and said, "Well I hope it won't take all night."

Rudy grinned mischievously and kissed her once they left the office, leaving her breathless. "Well Mrs. Vincent, I certainly don't think it would take all night. After all, I have a special night planned for you."

Valerie kissed his jaw, which she knew drove him crazy. "Good, cause I have a few things planned for you Dr. Vincent."

"One of these days you'll be the death of me woman."

"I certainly hope that's not the case Rudy."

They got in Rudy's car and drove home. When they pulled into their driveway, Kai was standing outside.

Valerie was immediately uneasy. "Rudy, were you expecting Kai?"

He frowned. "No, not for a while. I wonder why he's here."

They both got out of the car and Rudy helped Valerie stand. They walked up to the door before Valerie spoke. "Hello Kai."

"Valerie." Kai replied stiffly before turning his attention to Rudy. "Hey Vince. You available to talk?"

"Yeah Kai. Let me get Valerie settled and then we'll talk. What's up?"

"Nothing much. Let's get inside. After all, Valerie is in a delicate state nowadays."

Valerie bit her tongue at Kai's snide comment. She couldn't stand him sometimes. They all walked into the house and Valerie kissed Rudy on the cheek before heading upstairs.

"So. What was so important that you showed up here to talk to me about it instead of calling me?"

"I'm running for council Vince. I wanted to know if I could count on you for support."

"Of course I'll support you Kai. I'm actually really proud to hear that. Congrats little brother."

Kai nodded. "Good. That's really all I needed." He started to leave before Rudy grabbed his shoulder.

"Hey, we found out the gender of the baby today."

"Oh yeah? You having a boy or a girl?"

Rudy handed him one of the sonogram pictures and said proudly, "We're having a little girl. We're gonna try and decide on a name tonight, and we'll start working on the nursery this weekend."

"That's great man. Congrats to you. Hopefully you're not as shitty as our dad was. That would fucking blow. But I don't think Valerie would put up with that to be honest. She may think the sun shines out your ass, but she's not stupid."

Rudy laughed. "Yeah, she's tough." He pulled Kai into a hug and then let him go. "Thanks for coming over Kai."

Kai nodded. "Don't worry, I'll show myself out." Kai turned around, pocketed the picture and left.

Rudy loosened his tie and walked upstairs where he found his wife sitting in bed with her sheet music and her reading glasses perched on the tip of her nose. She was composing no doubt, and he smiled as he walked in. "I don't know how you can see anything with the way you're wearing those."

She smiled and set aside the sheet music and patted the space next to her. "Come on. I have plans for you Doctor."


	3. The Tension Increases

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Valerie is getting increasingly concerned for Rudy as his patients continue to go missing and get harassed. Meanwhile, the clowns seem hellbent on terrorizing Valerie.

Valerie stirred in her sleep as she heard her husband's phone ring. He sat up and answered tiredly.

"Hello?" His voice was gruff with sleep, and Valerie sat up next to him. It was one in the morning, whoever was calling was not some telemarketer. This was serious. 

"You found them where? Oh my god. I will be right there sheriff, thank you." Rudy hung up the phone and held his face in his hands. "Oh god." He let out a sigh and stood.

"Rudy? Rudy baby what's wrong?" Valerie grabbed his hand and gestured for him to sit.

Rudy sat down and Valerie held his face in her hands. "They found my patient. She and her husband were locked in coffins. That's why no one could find them. They were in their house for weeks."

Valerie gasped softly. "Oh Rudy, I'm so sorry. Do you have to go see them?"

"I have to help identify the bodies. Neither of their families can be here until next week." He stood up and changed out of his pajama pants into a pair of jeans, a button down shirt, and a jacket. He placed a kiss on Valerie's forehead. "I'll be back soon. Try and get some sleep. I know it's been hard with the munchkin moving around so much. I'll be back as soon as I can okay?" With that he went down the stairs and Valerie heard the front door close.

She laid back in bed and sighed, trying to fall back asleep when she heard what sounded like an ice cream truck. Confused and still sleepy, Valerie rose from the bed and crossed the room to the window facing the street.

She saw a large ice cream truck, and a group of clowns got out. The clowns congregated and one with what looked like three faces pointed at her home. Valerie paled and tried to call Rudy, but he didn't pick up his phone. "Shit." The clowns started walking toward the house. Valerie quickly placed the covers on the bed to make it look like neither of them were there and then grabbed her shoes, taking them with her to the closet. She let it open a crack as found the old crawlspace that was hidden in the closet. She and Rudy had discovered it when they were fixing up the house when they first moved in. She quickly put her shoes in it and climbed in as best as she could, concealing the entrance to the space once she was in place. She put her hands over her mouth and waited silently for something to happen.

She heard footsteps in the house as the group of clowns entered. They were only in the entryway so far, but she could hear mumbling as they deliberated who would go where. They apparently reached a consensus, as she heard footsteps coming up the steps. Valerie held her breath and placed her arm protectively over her stomach. The footsteps reached the bedroom, and she heard them pacing over to their bathroom. They opened the shower curtain quickly and Valerie had to keep herself from jumping. The footsteps exited the bathroom and came over to the closet. She could hear the door creak open and held her breath, being as silent as she could possibly be. They searched the closet, moving the garments around the closet to find her. She cringed as they got right outside the crawl space. It seemed like an eternity passed until the clown finally left the closet and the footsteps went downstairs.

She heard more indistinct chatting for a few minutes downstairs, and finally the door closed. She waited in the crawl space, as she couldn't be sure that the clowns had actually left or if they might be tricking her. Valerie stayed there for what felt like hours, until the front door opened again and she heard footsteps coming back up the stairs.

Rudy tiredly took off his jacket and looked at the empty bed. He checked the bathroom, and didn't find his wife there. Concerned, he walked around the bedroom. "Valerie? Where are you?"

Valerie immediately got out of the crawl space and ran to her husband.

Rudy caught her in his arms and looked down at her. "Whoa! Babe, you're shaking like a leaf, what happened?"

Valerie sat him down and explained what had happened to her after he left.

Rudy looked upset, and grabbed his phone. "We're gonna call the cops. They need to be on the lookout for this Val. You could have been hurt!"

The phone dialed the number for the police, and Rudy filled them in on what happened. After they agreed to come speak with Valerie in the morning, Rudy hung up and held her. "I'm sorry baby. I should have been here to protect you. I am so sorry this happened."

"Rudy, it wasn't your fault. I'm just confused how they got in the house to be honest. We didn't give anyone keys. How did they get in?"

"I don't know, but the cops will help figure that out. You need to rest okay?"

Valerie nodded and laid down with Rudy holding her. He ran his fingers through her hair and held her close, laying kisses along her neck and shoulders. Finally, Valerie fell back asleep in her husband's arms.


End file.
